Chef Hara of Al Ponte's Carbonara (Classic & Creamy Variations)

Slice the homemade pancetta. It will have fattier and leaner parts, and the end pieces are especially good. Use it in a dry state.

Start boiling the spaghetti.

Transfer only the egg yolks to a bowl.

Crush the garlic, put it in a frying pan, and infuse the oil with its aroma. Rather than coloring it, what matters is letting it bubble well so the aroma transfers to the oil.

Meanwhile, add the pecorino to the egg yolks in the bowl and mix well, then add water and keep mixing persistently. Emulsify until it turns slightly white, dissolving the fat thoroughly.

Cook the pancetta in the frying pan and make use of the flavorful fat that renders out. Be careful not to rush it over high heat, or the fat won't taste good. Once cooked, remove it and set aside.

Add the boiled spaghetti to the frying pan and toss it with the emulsified egg yolk sauce until glossy. Season with black pepper and remove the garlic.

Add a little black pepper, then turn off the heat and finish with residual heat. It will loosen if you keep mixing, so apply just a little heat to remove the raw egg smell.

Return the pancetta to the pan and plate it in this state to complete the classic version. It develops a remarkable gloss.

[Variation] Cook the pancetta pressed between the pan, and start boiling the pasta using olive oil.

Put the whole eggs and Grana Padano in a bowl and mix well, taking your time to let them blend together slowly. If you rush the mixing here, it will seize the moment it meets the pasta, so build a solid emulsion in advance.

Warm the broccoli.

Combine the boiled pasta with the whole-egg sauce in the frying pan. With the egg white included it seizes more easily, and considering the difference in setting temperature between the white and the yolk, it is harder than the classic version. Rather than putting the eggs in the pan, add the pasta to the sauce.

Plate it compactly in a bowl and serve with the hard cheese baked until crisp and broken into pieces. The variation is finished without sprinkling cheese directly on top, for a creamy and gentle flavor.